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And now Ayanbadejo naturally wishes he never said anything.

"I made selfish comments on twitter last night that reflected poorly upon myself, my teammates, and the organization. For that I apologize," Ayanbadejo tweeted Monday.

The apology is commendable. It's not that Ayanbadejo changed his mind, but he knows that he only created questions for his teammates to answer. He also provided the Patriots with some bulletin board material. (Not that they needed motivation).

Mike Freeman of CBS Sports writes: "A Patriots source tells me Ayanbadejo's quotes have spread through the locker room faster than the flu virus travelling across New England. Players who are aware of the quote are furious and feel it is one of the most disrespectful things ever said about the franchise."

Let's be real: These comments won't make any difference in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. But the Patriots often stretch to find motivational gambits at this time of the season, and this gives them an easy target to focus on.